Elements of Collaboration, Appropriate Tools, and Suitable Strategies

Re: Strategies for assessing asynchronous learner collaboration in various forms

by chris macrae -
Number of replies: 0

I believe we are doing our children extreme injustice by failing to debate a new learning cuuricula and modes for the 21st C in a way that could involve the most diverse participation

why do we broadcast sports but not find a way to animate through public sector broadcasting a worldwide inquiry into learning which could then connect viewers to specific conversations on the net

Probably the book with the closest view of the revolution I believe we need learning networks to be is this one which also provides this neat summary of the scale and urgency of the inquiry we should be eleveating from every community up

Eight main beliefs of one of most inspiring books around in 2004:

  • 1. The world is hurtling through a fundamental turning point in history.
  • 2. We are living through a revolution that is changing the way we live, communicate, think and prosper.
  • 3. This revolution will determine how, and if, we and our children work, earn a living and enjoy life to the fullest.
  • 4. For the first time in history, almost anything is now possible.
  • 5. Probably not more than one person in five knows how to benefit fully from the hurricane of change - even in developed countries.
  • 6. Unless we find answers, an elite 20 percent could end up with 60 percent of each nation's income, the poorest fifth with only 2 percent.1 That is a formula for guaranteed poverty, school failure, crime, drugs, despair, violence and social eruption.
  • 7. We need a parallel revolution in lifelong learning to match the information revolution, and for all to share the fruits of an age of potential plenty.
  • 8. Fortunately, that revolution - a revolution that can help each of us learn anything much faster and better - is also gathering speed.

My trouble is that I have been reflecting this way for 20 or even 30 years the first time I encountered what computer assisted learning networks can do. I am not longer interested in just chat, or this takes time before it will happen. I believe that Gandhi was doubly correct in implying that in big tansformation people have to stand up rather than expect existing institutions will help them; and in defing knowledge as that which liberates us; clearly there is a thord of the world to liberate from poverty and much of the rest of the world to liberate from organsiations that still invest in machines and cutting people.

If you are up for revolution you can find more at http://chrismacrae.blogspot.com For example if Londoners cannot get the BBc to cover learning with as much attention as it does sports, then we should close it down or return the 2012 summer olympics as past its use by date . I also think that a thorougly underexplored area is learning games - see eg http://sosgames.blogspot.com if that interests you